In the wake of the recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has urged India and Pakistan to resolve their differences through political and diplomatic means, in line with past bilateral agreements. According to a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, as reported by ANI, Lavrov discussed the aggravation of India-Pakistan relations during a phone conversation with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on May 2. “They discussed issues of Russian-Indian cooperation and the aggravation of Indian-Pakistani relations following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Sergey Lavrov called for settling disagreements between New Delhi and Islamabad on a bilateral basis by political and diplomatic means per the provisions of the Simla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999,” the statement said. The Russian foreign ministry also noted that the ministers “discussed the schedule of upcoming contacts at the highest levels.” Taking to social media platform X, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar wrote, “Discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack with FM Lavrov of Russia yesterday. Its perpetrators, backers and planners must be brought to justice. Also spoke about our bilateral cooperation activities.” Following the attack, India announced a series of stringent measures against Pakistan for what it described as support for cross-border terrorism. These included the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the closure of the Integrated Check Post at Attari, and a reduction in the staffing of High Commissions. Additionally, the Indian government cancelled all types of visas issued to Pakistani nationals and ordered them to leave the country by April 30. India also closed its airspace to flights operated by Pakistan International Airlines. In a retaliatory move, Pakistan suspended all trade with India, including shipments to and from any third country via its territory, and barred Indian carriers from using its airspace. Meanwhile, ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces have continued for the eighth consecutive day, with reports of small arms fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in five districts of Jammu and Kashmir. At a high-level security meeting held on April 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the Indian armed forces have been given “full operational freedom to determine the mode, targets, and timing” of the country’s response to the Pahalgam attack.